Pittsburgh-UConn: Mitch Picks College Hoops On Feb. 16, 2009

#4 Pittsburgh (23-2) at #1 Connecticut (24-1)

The Line: Connecticut -3

Monday February 16, 2009 7 PM EST

Two giants in the college basketball world collide at The Hartford Civic Center for a game many would call a national championship caliber game.

Two teams that appear headed for at minimum a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament between them will meet on the court to decide who has the inside track for the Big East title.

UConn has won 13 in a row and hasn't lost in 2009—Pittsburgh has dropped two of their last nine with both of those losses coming on the road.

I'll be the first to admit that I have underestimated the Huskies this year and have since the outset—they are a better team than I gave them credit for.

My thoughts came from a game I went to here in Chicago where a young UConn team, led by primarily the same talent they have now, was beaten by a solid but unimpressive DePaul team at Allstate Arena.

I thought the talent at UConn just wasn't there, I also thought that coach Jim Calhoun has lost it subbing his players far too often, not letting Adrien and Austrie get into a flow and that Thabeet was just a project that wasn't going to develop—I admit I was wrong on all accounts.

Calhoun's subbing just led to more game experience for his then young players who had that rare chance to mature together as a team and form a formidable core who now sit as the No. 1 team in the country.

Pittsburgh has been outstanding as well. Just Saturday, they dominated a Cincinnati team that needed the upset win in a game the Panthers never let the Bearcats in.

In that game, four of Pittsburgh's five starters hit double figures and the Panthers shot an insane shooting percentage from the floor.

While Sam Young led the way with with 18 points and Levance Fields had 13 assists, it was a total team effort that made quick and seemingly easy work of a sound Cincinnati team.

The Panthers work will be a little more cut out for them in the game against UConn.